Many in the business world believe that the financial interests of a company must come before any ethical or moral considerations. Laws, they would contend, are society’s moral structure, so to impose additional moral restraints will present a strategic disadvantage causing business to wither. This attitude is old-fashion and unsustainable.

Fortunately, our culture is progressing beyond this “money first” approach and growing increasingly supportive of businesses that place a premium on morals such as sustainability and socio-economic responsibility. What’s the point of maximizing the bottom line if our product is damaging the environment? How would we feel at the end of the day if we grow our coffers and, as a result, our community suffers? Putting a system of morals and ethics as a first priority is what we call a “Conscious Business.”

The primary challenge of creating and sustaining a conscious business is the human ego. We all can fall victim to a “me first” perspective, no matter our intentions. In order to moderate the “ego affect”, the Kula founders decided on a system of Unanimous Consent. The seven board members need to make ALL business decisions unanimously.

This revolutionary business concept ensures that the ego of any individual (or even majority) cannot drive a decision. The practice of Unanimous Consent makes the decision making process much slower, as each founder needs to express their opinions and seek a compromise to which all are amenable. The board’s ultimate objective is not to make decision quickly, but to take time in deliberation to ensure that the best decision is made.